New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-06
THE BUFFALO OIL CASE,
HOW CERTAIN PETROLEUM WAS SPOILED.
CONDITION OF THE DAMAGED WORKS SHOWN BY
THE oUTPUr-wHAr IEE DEFENCE EXPECTS TO

TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBUsE.I

BUFFALO, May 5.-The trial of the kessrs. Everest
OF the Rochester Vacuum Oil Company, John ID.
Arcbbold, Henry Rogers and Ambrose McGregor, on
the charge OF conspiracy, continued to-day IN the
Supreme Court before Judge Haight President John
ID. Rockefeller, of the Standard Oil Company, who is
attending the trial. Ia here q witness summoned by
the prosecution He Is expected TO testify to the
connection, if any, that the Standard Oil Company has
with the Vacuum Oil Company, OF which the defend
ants are the owners William Rockefeller treasurer
Of the Standard, Is also here witness, and there
many other well-known oil men present Tne
Messrs. Rockefeller not personally interested In
the suit and only came they say in obedience to the
order OF the court.
Several witnesses were examined to-day for the
prosecution. None OF the testimony connected the
three. New-York men directly with any transactions
In which the Messrs. Everest and Miller the witness
who betrayed the Buffalo Company, were Interested.
The testimony OF one OF the witnesses was really
fa ayorabe to the defence Mrs. Mary Miller wife
oil the principal witness tor the prosecution, was sub
jected to a long examination. She did not hear the
conversation in the lawyers Office, when her husband
advised to be careful or be might become erimi-
nally liable. Mr. Everest had told her that the reason
1t necessary to dispose of the property OF herself
and husband was that the Buffalo Company might
try to get it, After Miller returned from Boston
he was idle for two months, until he went to Leroy to
put down a salt well. While he was away, once,
sne did not know where hs was for two weeks. When
Charles Everest told her that Miller quit working, he
said that he must be crazy and sorry for her and
her daughter She had objected to the California trip
Joseph s. stea-ns who had worked for the Vacuum
Oil Company in Boston, testified that the office there
was at No 81 Purchase-st and was managed by
William T. Root. He was salesman and made his
reports daily to Mr. Root to the Rochester Office and
to o. Il. Warng. OF New-York. He did not know
whether not Warng was connected with the stand"
ard Oil Company. He had several talks with Y. NJ
Everest who told him to cut prices alter the Buffalo
Company had already gone TO the Vacuums customers
and cut the rates. Everest told him to tell customers
that the Buffalo Company was Infringing on the
Vaeuum's patents. This he told only to his own
customers. Mr.. Everest told him that the Buffalo
Company did not make as good OIL that 1t seemed to
be made from adipped and not from crude oil. and
IL was cheaper. He cautioned Stearns not to cut
too low and there was TO be any loss on OIL 10 leu
the Buffalo Company have it. Charles Everest had
not told the witness lie about the Buffalo Company
but he hsd sed arguments to get trade, as ne "ouu
in the ordinary course OF business
Mr. Bacon asked only one question OF the witness;
These statements which you were instructed TO make
were true, were they not Y
Yes SIR
Frank r.. Beardsley, brother.in-law of President
Matthews the complainant testified that he had been
shipping olerk Tor the Vacuum Company and left 1t to
work for the Buffalo Company. Z. NJ Everest told
him that he would fix the Buffalo Company, 80
Beardsley would not get ta big salary. when miller
qmt the Buffalo Company, it had no one else who
could construct the works, or manufacture OIL
When the first Of oil occurred, the safety valve
| hIew al The yapors that escaped rould ignite II
brought In contact with fire and an explosion might
result The petroleum was spoiled ana only ht ior
fel The wi,ness said the intensity OF the heat in
the still was dangerous to the safety OF the works
| Beardsley said that when Matthews started the
| Buffalo Works there was profit oil 20 or 10 on the
resduum. and from 80 to 50 barrel on the Kerosene
produced by this process The capacity OF two stills
In the Buffalo Works WAS 400 barrels OF crude oil
day and the waste 10 per cent. On cross-exami-
nation by Mr. Coggswell, Beardsley was asked why
valves soro packed and rcpe'i tnat 1t was done to
keep ihe,u IRON leaking.
! VII, was the safety valve packedp
@Io keep It from leaking, or blowing out"
The witness got the castings for the valve from the
TGt foundry and admitted that 1t was Ike one IN
the Vacuum works. Asked IL he knew the diherence
between fractional and destructive dstillatlon OF
petroleum. he said he did not As shipping clerk, he
| kney most OF the vacuum's customers He did not
| personally know whether not President Matthews
had tried to replace Miller, but took his word tor It,
Valves had frequently blown off. The safety yaiye,
he admitted, answer to question, was TO blow Oh
| 40 the still would not explode. ooo
barrels OF oil did you make T. asked Lawyer Coggs-
we'll ., -, e..
nes, and he added that three stills, the number now
/ IN use were IN operation by August.
| "That was pretty good for your poor, disabled
That's what we made" said Beardsley. The
witness was questioned closely about the prohts on OIL
and il was claimed thlt evidence would be- introduced
to SHOW hat the price OF oil was lesS thah TUG "hc9s
Lonis La Press, an employe of the Buffalo Com
tpa,nSi vyas made TO blow up the Buffalo Companys
wur a. was the next witness. lie said that Albert
Miller had told him to fire the stll and keep a no9
| fire Once he seized a shovel aud threw In more coal
though the lire was very hot. lie did not see VINO
put tho safety value together and did not know VINO
| packed IL. 1t packed with plaster Oh paris;
Miller old hun to fire tho stills heavy as he could
and when the second bOwo took place IN the AFTER
noon aud Miller had again started the furnaces tne
a1nx rnnh hi l.
| tion ne said that he had worked for Beardsey "
Matthews at the yoming Salt Well lie never saw
q safety valve that vas n9t "egn'tea t pm,sio
| Company remembered the first run OF OH; put, II
he was there that day. he did not notice the commo-
ton about the safety valve blowing OIL. Miller was
absent at various times and lie did not know what he
| was doing All he knew was hesrsay about the oioW-
ing OIL but he saw the spoiled reslduum tne ueAt uny
lie had 10 change the pipes in the works frequently
bu good gas filter could have got them rlght a' 'no
start. ,.tu L. Ian, - ur
Matthews said he had heard Miller instruct tne nre IRE
man to put more fire under the SILL saying that ihe
escaping gases were dangerous. Coahsei mi"usea os
about Beardseys ability to tell whether the gases
| ~sre dangerous The witness said that an endeavor
was made TO find Miller after he went away; Some
| body fixed the safety valve which leaked DAILY "lleI
~ hiew on The yapors sere intlammabe. he believed
bu tho cloud hoated over towardthe Atlas "orhs anu
| faded away without ignltlhB 80. .,o..;..
Tomorrow tho prosecution intends to Try 70 dentiy
the NewY ,rk oil magnates with the alleged consplr
aev by the testimony OF the Messrs kockeieiler anu
LAWYER Truesdae, OF Rochester, is relied upon 70
| corroborate some OF Millers testimony. Numerous
| other with, ,sses will be called. General CouhseI
nndd of the Standard Company, is here. One OF the
counsel for the defence said tonight that witnesses
would he produced show that the conspiracy was a
on the other side. ,,. -, u.boroht
. Matthews and his associates" he said, Thought
they could compel tbs Vacuum and STANDARD ,I Gon,-
panics to buy them out at big price, put wse ndn
pointed Matthews is suing these people Ior @oo.oVo
| damages and wants To secure conVicuon SO as "
nolster up that suit. He depends prlnoiDally on
Miller but bis evidence will be riddled oeiore W. se'
through"
| NATURAL GAS IN MADISON COUNTY.
rrrc, NAV Natural gas was found TO day at Morris
vo. Madison County, at a depth OF 400 feet The gas
t rose 10 height OF seventyye feet with such lorce
| as to destroy tho buildings ana dril APPARATUS